Sword Art Online: The Road to the Ruby Palace
by pastelrubies
Summary: After the events of Heathcliff, Kirito is still stuck in this death game and Asuna did not make it. To figure out how to get out, he needs the help of two very familiar faces- Sachi and Yui. To find why they're back and why the game hasn't ended, he will need their help. But what they found could alter not just the game world, but change the real world. Forever.
1. Chapter 1- The End?

Chapter 1: [The End?]

The Last Battle.

I launched toward Heathcliff, all of my rage in my sword. But it was no use. His shield cracked my sword in half. "Farewell Kirito-kun." His words echoed in my mind. Was I really going to die? As he lunged his sword at me, I noticed something sprout out. Asuna had shot out in front of me. She took the blow and fell into my arms. She had a bright red slash across her armor. I stared at her in horror as she took small breaths, gasping for air. I saw her health bar quickly drain to zero. I gasped. Asuna looked up at me, a faint smile on her face. "No, Asuna… This-This can't be real…" I whispered. Her beautiful hazel eyes filled with tears as she started to glow.

"I'm sorry. Goodbye… Kirito-kun." She said before closing her eyes. Her chestnut hair flew up and she glowed brighter and brighter until she shattered into crystals. I dropped my sword and stood there in shock. I tried to reach out for her to maybe get her back. I can't live without her. She's my only sunshine in this world of darkness. I can't let her go! I chased after the little shards, until coming to the comprehension that she was gone. Forever. I dropped to my knees. I couldn't take this anymore. I've lost too many people I loved. I started to cry as the last shard touched my hand before disappearing. I wouldn't- I couldn't fight. I can't bear all of this agony. I looked up and saw out of the corner of my eye Heathcliff smirking. I knew what was about to happen.

Pain. That's all I felt in the moment that Heath-no, Kayaba Akihiko struck the sword through my chest, and I felt my body disappearing into crystallized shards. My health bar drained as the pain surged through me. The bright red words filled my view. "You Are Dead." The pain from my chest spread through my whole body, rushing like a tidal wave. "N-no… not yet..." I stuttered.

My life started flashing by me. I saw Asuna, Yui and I laughing and having fun in our cottage on Floor 22, I saw Sachi singing to me through the message, and I saw Silica and Lisbeth. I saw my first time playing SAO with Klein after it was first released. I remembered the times before SAO, when I would play around with Suguha in the dojo and my times with Eugeo, and then I realized somethng. I couldn't let their struggles be in vain. I couldn't let Asuna, Yui, and Sachi all die for nothing. They believed in me. They knew I could do it. I couldn't just leave them. I would defeat Heathcliff.

I hung on to the last bar of health that I had. I felt my body coming back, the pain was excruciating. "Not yet…" My body was struggling to stand, I was taking short, raspy breaths, and I could feel the glitches on my skin. I slowly lifted Asuna's sword, Lambent Light. The pain from just trying to gasp it was throbbing and the worst sting I've ever endured. I could barely hold it, but I had to. It struck Heathcliff right in the chest. It went right through his armor and I almost couldn't believe it. But for a split second I thought I saw him say something… I saw his health bar slowly deplete, and he disappeared into thin air. "We did it… right Asuna?" I whispered as I stared at Lambent Light. I heard the monotone, robotic voice echo over all of Aincrad. "On November 7th at 2:55 pm, the game has been cleared. Repeat, the game has been cleared." I let out a sigh of relief. It's finally over. I could see Silica, Lisbeth, Klein, and Agil all happy and jumping for joy at the sound of the ending of this morbid game.

Or so I thought.

The game has been cleared, right? That mean we're out of the game… right? No… Why isn't the game ending? I thought it would end after we defeated the last boss. I gripped Asuna's blade close. I cursed under my breath as I realized that something has gone horribly, horribly wrong. I stood up slowly and stared at the cold stone floor of the room. I walked towards the gate of guilt staring me in the eye, ignoring the weak warriors in my peripheral vision. Determination, raging in me like a wild fire, telling me to discover the secrets behind this. I walked into the blinding light. To Floor 76.

Next Time: [Someone Special]


	2. Chapter 2- Someone Special

**Chapter 2: [Someone Special]**

As I walked into through the 76th floor's town, I noticed that it looks completely different than any of the other towns. The town was extremely tiny, and it was surrounded by a seemingly endless meadow of flora. It was somehow mesmerizing in a way. As I walked into the town, I noticed something laying near the town square fountain. It was a person? She had short, shoulder-length black hair and pale skin. She was wearing a baby blue tunic with an armored chest plate, a skirt, and gray boots. I could have sworn I've seen her before. Then I recognized her.

Sachi.

My heart skipped a beat. It can't be… She's alive? Bu-But how… Could she have survived? Impossible. My mind went back to when we were in that dungeon. I clearly saw her… die. Obviously she had to survive. Otherwise how is she here now? It doesn't matter. I'll figure that out later. Right now I have to get her to a hotel room so she can rest. I picked her up and sure enough, she was breathing. Short breaths that were gasping for air, but they were still breaths. However, her condition was dangerously low. She barely had a bar in her health. I slowly picked her up, paying close attention to make sure nothing happened to her. I ran to the nearest hotel with Sachi in my arms. Her jet-black hair was waving in the wind. I busted through the door. I went over to the hotel NPC and pulled out 7,000,000 Cor. I handed it to him and he gave me a key to a hotel room. Room 41. Alright. I ran up the amber stairs and franticly looked around for the room. "25, 27, 31, 37, Ah! 41!" I said. I used the key and pushed through the door. It was a suite of some sort. There were 5 rooms: two bedrooms, a kitchen, a dining room, and a bathroom. The bedrooms were both cherry blossom colored. The kitchen was a light blonde, the dining room maroon, and the bathroom periwinkle. The whole suite gave off a very soothing, peaceful feel. I went into one of the bedrooms and laid Sachi on the bed.

I whipped out a healing potion. It was a combination of lemon juice and green tea made by Asuna. It should fully heal her HP. I poured it in her mouth. She drank it and her health started to fill up again. She began to take deep breaths. "She's asleep…" I whispered. I let out a sigh of relief. I should stay with her until she wakes up. I took off my trench-coat and hung it on the coat rack. I should probably make something for Sachi to eat. Unfortunately, my cooking skill isn't that high… but I do remember some recipes I learned from Asuna. I walked over to the kitchen area, took out some ingredients, and began to cook.

After I was finished, I put the… uh… food on the counter and checked on Sachi. I walked over to the bed. She's still sleeping I guess. She looks so peaceful. Her dark hair was shining in the sunlight, and her cheeks were rosy. I let her nap for a bit. I was pretty tired from the earlier fight with Heathcliff, so I decided to take a small siesta in the room next to her. I dreamed about my cottage in Floor 22, and my adventures with the Moonlit Black Cats Guild. After I woke up, I checked my inventory. I still have all of the items that I had before. I also have Asuna's items because of the shared inventory. I might as well take some of them. But then, I saw something beeping in my items slot. It was an anonymous message.

It read, "Come to the fountain in the town square at 7pm."

"How did this get in my inventory?" I whispered. Well, whoever put it in there, it must be something important. I should probably go. After all, it is a safe zone. I wouldn't be able to be ambushed as long as I stay in the town. It's almost 7. I should probably get ready to go. I took the food from the counter and put it on the night desk next to where Sachi was sleeping. I walked over to the door, grabbed my pitch-black trench-coat, and headed for the door.

 **Next Time: [A Mysterious Figure and a Familiar Face]**


	3. Chapter 3- A Mysterious Figure

**Author's Note: I know what you're all thinking. "OMG YOU KILLED ASUNA OFF OMG WHY DID YOU DO THAT I HATE YOU!" But try to keep in mind that if the original SAO story continued, Asuna would not have made it. I tried to tap into that. And to those who think this is a KiritoxSachi story, it actually isn't. It might seem like it, but the next couple of chapters might change your mind. :)**

 **Anyways, this is the chapter where it gets interesting. This chapter will explain things that really needed to be explained. I know you probably think I'm a total amateur and have no experience with writing, and you're right! This is the first time I've written a story, so please don't judge my horrible writing skills. I will try to improve, so I would love it if you would give me some constructive criticism and words of advice to help me improve my writing. Thank you very much! :D**

 **Chapter 3: [A Mysterious Figure and a Familiar Face]**

I shut the door behind me. As I was walking down the stairs of the hotel, I noticed that the floor was slowly being filled up with new players. They were all part of the Knights of the Blood guild. They must have finally gotten rid of the paralysis from earlier, and have come to this area to heal up. When they noticed me, they all started to whisper to each other and point and stare. I didn't care what they were saying. Some people tried to come up to me but I ignored them. I don't have time to talk to anyone. I headed out the door and strolled toward the town square.

The night was young, and the sky was a beautiful cosmic black color. The stars lit up the heavens. They were twinkling like lighthouses. I could see nebulas and far-away galaxies which were more colorful than a rainbow. The moon was bigger than normal. It must be a red moon, seeing as how it was a piercing blood-red color. It was actually very… pretty. I used to think that this game was just morbid. But it was actually very beautiful. The town was also very pretty at night. The small street-lamps gave off a very warm feel to the area. The foliage was blooming and the wild-flowers were everywhere. The trees were flowing in the breeze, which caused cherry blossom petals and flowers to fall and fly in the wind. There were no players outside where I was, which caused it to be very peaceful and quiet.

I continued walking through the town, and arrived at the square. It was an open space with trees lining it and benches around. In the middle was the fountain itself. The water was flowing out and reflected the moonlight. It gave the illusion that the fountain was glowing.

I looked around. This is where they asked me to come right? Did I get the location right? I checked the message to make sure. Sure enough, this was the place. "Hey! Come on out already! I know you're there!" I yelled.

"I'm here," a low, elegant voice responded.

Then, a very mature-looking girl walked out from behind a tree. She had pale skin and bright green eyes that looked like they were glowing in the night. Her indigo colored hair was more on the purple side, and was tied in to a messy braid that flopped on her shoulder and went down to just a little bit above her waist. She was just a bit taller than me, but I think that was because of her heeled boots. Her color scheme was purple, blue and pink. She had a blue miniskirt that was partially covered by a purple cape of sorts. She had magenta leggings that went just above her knees. She had a collar with a pink bow on it. Her sleeves started just below her shoulders and were connected to her dress. They were purple with black tips and had gold lining going down them. They went over part of her hand and you could see just a bit of her fingers. Her weapon was a double scythe, colored black with fire effects on the end. It was designed to look like a fire at the tip. It was unlike any other weapon I've seen. It looked very powerful, I wondered what skill she was at to make it or what boss she got it from.

"Why did you bring me here?" I scowled.

"I have come to tell you something importa-"she said.

"And what is that?" I asked.

"I'm getting to that. Maybe if you would just stop interrupting, I would be able to say it," she said. I frowned. She was really annoying. I don't have time for dilly-dallying.

"Sorry," I murmured while staring at the ground.

She smiled. "Thank you. First of all, my name is Emessa. It's nice to meet you, Kirito. Now as I was saying, I have something very important to tell you. It's about your friend you found earlier."

"It's nice to meet you too, but, uh, how did you know my name?" I questioned.

"I'll get to that later. First I have to tell you something. You see, when Heathcliff was defeated, there was a glitch that happened that causing the game to keep going when it was supposed to finish. I don't know what caused the glitch, or why it happened, but it seems to have something else too. You see, when someone dies in this game, they don't technically die. They are put into a coma-like state that makes them brain-dead. You see, Kayaba designed it so that they were actually killed after around 5 days or so. That's how the Divine Stone of Returning Soul was able to revive players that had already died, even if it was only 10 seconds later." She explained.

But… that still doesn't explain why Sachi is alive…

"Oh and one more thing. Because the final boss was defeated, the game is trying to play the ending. So from now on, Aincrad will be slowly falling apart unless we can get to the 100th floor. It not, it will be completely destroyed and will kill everyone that is still alive in the game." She said.

What… What did she just say?!

 **Ooooh it's a cliffhanger! Anyways, I probably won't be able to update until summer, because I have finals the next 2 weeks, so I have to start studying (yep I'm one of those girls that need to get straight A's or else I will probably die. I dunno, just bear with me :3 I want to go to college and stuff, so, and wait how does that have anything to do with anything? I should probably stop now…) so yeah, sorry you had to deal with me and my annoyingness xD**


	4. Chapter 4- A Familiar Face

**Author's Note: Oh my god Thank you so much for 200 view already!** **I can't believe it! o(^▽^)o Anyways, here's the next chapter for ya!**

 **Chapter 4: [A Familiar Face]**

I couldn't believe what she was saying to me. Aincrad was falling apart? Players back from the dead? I couldn't believe it. In fact, how can I believe anything she says? How do I know she's not lying to me? How did she know all this? "Hey. How do you know all of this information?" I asked.

She hesitated before saying, "She told me." And gestured behind her. As I looked at the tree she pointed to, a small girl walked out from behind it. She had long black hair and bangs. She was wearing a simple white dress and no shoes. She had bright eyes and a big smile.

"Papa!" she cried with a smile. She ran over to me and jumped up and hugged me. It took me just a second to realize who it was, and when I did, I was baffled. Yui. I tried to make sure she wasn't a hologram of some sort. She wasn't. I started to cry tears of joy.

"Yui! I can't believe it!" I cried. I hugged her tight. I thought she was deleted. Then, I glanced over at her and noticed that she had a dewdrop crystal attached to a necklace she was wearing. I looked in my inventory. And sure enough, the item "Yui's Heart" was gone. So she is really back. Thank god… "Where did you find her?" I asked Emessa.

"When the glitch happened, I was transported into an out-of-bounds area. When I was looking for a way out, she appeared in front of me in a blazing light. She asked me if I could help her find you. Then, she explained everything I just told you. She also said that when she was deleted, she was able to hold on to her being through code, and after time passed, was able to put herself back together. She was also the one who put the message into your inventory.

And most importantly, she was the one who brought back some players from the dead.

"That's right. I felt bad for all of the people, so I tried and tried, until I was able to bring some of them back!" she said with a smile. Then she noticed something. "Papa… where's mama?" she questioned.

Tears started flowing down my face, how was I supposed to explain this to her? I guess I just had to say it. "Yui… I don't know how to say this to you… Well… Asuna is…dead." I said between cries.

"What?" Yui said. It took her a minute to realize what I just said. She started to tear up.

"Oh no, Yui, it's alright. Don't cry," I said. I hugged her tight.

"I'm sorry for your loss Kirito," Emessa said, looking down at the ground. She came over to Yui and hugged her.

"No, it's alright," I said. "Yui, let's go back to the hotel."

"Sure thing Papa," she said while wiping her tears. "Let's go!" She said as she faintly smiled.

"I'll stay in a hotel room near yours if that's alright. I want to help you on this mission," Emessa said.

"Of course. We're gonna need all the help we get," I said. "My hotel number is Room 41, you can stay next to us."

When we got to the hotel, Emessa paid for Room 43, and we went upstairs. Emessa unlocked her door and said, "We meet in the town square at 7 o'clock in the morning. Good night." She went inside and shut the door.

"Got it. Good night Emessa," I said. I then unlocked the door and let Yui look around. I went to check on Sachi, but she was gone. Then I went into the living room to see Sachi sitting on the couch. She looked afraid was staring at her hands like she had just seen a ghost or something. She was sweating furiously. I slowly walked over to her, Yui right behind me. "Yui, just stay behind and watch, okay?" I whispered.

"Gotcha Papa! I'll stay behind the door," she said with a big smile.

I walked up to Sachi. She didn't seem to notice me. Maybe I should say something so I don't startle her. "Hey Sachi, how are you feeling? I'm glad you're okay," I said softly.

She turned to me, and cocked her head like something was on my face. She said with a quiet voice, a faint smile on her face, "U-uh I'm sorry sir, but… who are you?"

 **Word from the Author: She lost her memory! Oh no! How will Kirito deal with this? Find out in the next chapter! See ya next time, and thanks for reading!** **=^.^=**

 **Next Time: [Time Repeats]**


	5. Chapter 5- Time Repeats

**Chapter 5: [Time Repeats]**

Sachi's POV

I woke up in a strange room. It was a light pink color. Where am I? Who am I? In fact, I couldn't remember… anything. My head started to ache at just the thought of trying to remember. I slowly got out of the bed. I looked around and saw some, uh, food? It sure didn't look that appetizing. Well, I was pretty hungry… I guess I can take some to eat. I took a half of the sandwich and bit into it. Well, I gotta say that it tastes at least a little better than it looks.

After I was finished eating, I noticed something. When I flick my arms, a menu pops up in front of me. It shows things like my inventory, skills, and weapons. I have… a spear of some sort, but no items or skills. But my stats seem to be pretty strong. I was level 70, which I was assuming was pretty high. After I closed the menu, I looked around in the little house. I sat down in the living room, and tried to remember something, anything at least. But, once again, it hurt like hell every time I tried. "God dammit…" I mumbled. I stared at my hands. Why… Why can't I remember anything?! I don't know where I am… I don't know who I am… Damn it! Then, I heard two voices from behind me.

"Hey Sachi, how are you feeling? I'm glad you're okay," a male voice said.

Who… is that? Do I know him? Am I supposed to? I did the only thing I knew to do. I smiled, cocked my head and said, "U-uh I'm sorry sir, but… who are you? And who's S-Sachi?"

His face went from a smile to a horrified expression. Now I know I was supposed to know him. Crap, what should I do?

"You mean, you don't know who I am?" he asked slowly.

"No… Sorry," I said. "But, can you tell me about who I am? Please?"

"Well, to start off, my name is Kirito. Your name is Sachi, and this over here is Yui," he said while pointing to the door. A small girl came out, she had long black hair and bangs, and was wearing a simple white dress. Now that I look at her, she really reminds me of well… me.

"Nice to meet you, uh, K-Kirito was it? And my name is Sachi, huh. I like that name," I said quietly. "And, nice to meet you, Yui."

"It's nice to meet you too Sachi! You're very pretty!" Yui smiled and laughed. I already like her.

Kirito, on the other hand, seemed worried. He was still frowning at me. "Do you remember anything?" he said.

"No…" I mumbled.

"You don't remember real life?"

"Nope."

"U-uh, the Black Moonlit Cats guild?"

"It doesn't seem to ring a bell," I said. This was the point when he started to get really shaken up.

"Do, do you remember… dying?" he said quietly

Dying? What does he mean, dying? I died? How could I have died if I'm alive now?

"U-uh Kirito-kun, what do you mean, dying?" I said.

"There's a lot I need to tell you," he said.

Even after his explanations, nothing clicked. I still could not remember. Although, I do have a better grasp on what happened. Kirito asked me if I could help him get to the 100th floor.

"You know, there might be something on the way to the top that triggers your memory," he said.

"That sounds good. After all, I don't have anything better to do," I said.

"Alright, let's call it a day. In the morning, we will go out into the town to meet someone and start training for this floor's boss," he said.

"Alright. Good night Kirito-kun, Yui-chan."

"Good night Sachi!" Yui said with a big smile.

When I woke up, Kirito had already prepared breakfast. Yui was stuffing herself with pancakes. I took a plate and started eating. Kirito-kun has obviously upped his cooking skill since last time. When we were finished, we headed out the door and went to the town square.

There was a girl there who was waiting for us. Her name was Emessa I believe. She told us that we need to start training for the boss battle. We went into this training dungeon, and multiple monsters spawned. I felt a burst of energy. I whipped out my spear, and rushed towards them. I felt powerful killing the monsters. Kirito, Emessa, and Yui seemed to be surprised at how I was acting. "This is how you play the game, right?" I asked.

"U-uh yeah, Good job," Kirito said with an open jaw.

After we finished training, we returned to the town to see a large group of people with white and red armor.

"They are the Knights of the Blood Oath guild. They help clear the new floors in the game," Kirito said to me.

"Kirito! How are you?" said a plump man.

"Hello Daizen, how are you? I guess you are the new leader of this guild, huh?" Kirito said.

"Yes, that's me! Oh uh, Kirito, I'm sorry for your loss. Some of the members told me about her," he said while looking down.

"Oh it's alright," Kirito said.

Asuna. So that's who Kirito was talking about. She must've been really nice. I would have liked to meet her.

We followed the guild into a temporary base. Kirito and Daizen were discussing battle strategies for the boss battle. Apparently, this guild had already cleared out the dungeon room. After we were finished, Kirito said that we're headed to the boss tomorrow. We said good night to Emessa, and went to sleep.

 **Author's Note: Next Chapter, things are gonna get a little weird! But it goes back to normal the chapter after that. Oh and if you were wondering who Daizen is, he was the next person in the line of succession for guild leader. Thanks for reading and stay tuned!**

 **Next Time: [Danger in the Gates of Hell]**


	6. Chapter 6- Danger in the Gates of Hell

**Author's Note: Holy crap guys, 500 views already! You guys are awesome! Here's another chapter for ya!** **(｀・** **ω・** **´)**

 **Chapter 6: [Danger in the Gates of Hell]**

Kirito's POV

As we were getting ready for the boss battle, Yui said to me, "Papa, I forgot to mention that since the Cardinal system tried to delete me, I don't have enough power to be an immortal object anymore. So from now on I will be a player."

"A-alright Yui. Be careful though," I mumbled back.

We head into the boss room. It's labeled "The Gates of Hell." Somehow I don't have a good feeling about this.

I guess it's time to put the plan that Daizen and I made into action. The boss starts to spawn, and Daizen says, "It's a lot bigger than I expected it to be…" I was wondering what he was talking about, until I looked back at the boss.

It was Cerberus. It had jet-black fur, and piercing, blood-thirsty red eyes. It had at least 8 rows of teeth, but I was too shocked to count. It had chains wrapped at its feet, but they were detached. It roared louder than anything I've ever heard. It blew some of the players back with its sheer force. "Kirito-kun. Let's go," Emessa said to me with a confident smile.

Our plan was in action.

I ran behind Cerberus. The other members of the guild surround it, so that it won't notice Emessa spring up on top of it. She takes out her scythe, and slashes it multiple times in the back of the head. Sachi, meanwhile, gets up underneath the dog, and starts jabbing at its belly with her spear. Yui takes out her fire sword. Holy crap, I forgot she even had that! She starts to dash around it and cuts it all around. She kept a straight face even while doing all this. She was tougher than expected.

The Cerberus, despite being attacked from all sides, had only taken a little damage. It lifted a paw, and razor-sharp claws popped out. It whipped its paw up and down, which slashed multiple people. I widened my eyes as I saw some guild members shatter into crystals. Casualties already. God dammit.

I took out my swords, and started to double slit the beast's legs in an effort to cripple it somehow. It turned around and growled at me. Good, the attention's on me. The remaining guild members took that chance and attacked it while it was distracted. I weaved through its legs to make it confused, and it tried to follow me. Emessa dropped down and spun her spear until it was speared on both sides. She used her special skill, with made the tips of the spears catch on fire. She used this to her advantage by lighting part of the dog on fire while she was attacking it.

We were almost finished. Cerberus had only around 10% health left. We were sure that we were going to defeat it, but it surprised us. It roared one last time, and a burst of air swirled from around it. It whipped its tail and hit multiple people back. It clawed at Daizen, who responded with a quick and heavy jab from his cleaver. When it was tired of Daizen, it targeted someone else. I was so busy trying to get its attention that I didn't see who it threw against wall. But when Sachi screamed, I realized who it was.

"YUI!" Sachi screamed. Yui yelped as she hit the wall. I was in total shock.

"Yu-"I said, but before I could finish, one of Cerberus' heads bit at me. I couldn't get over to her. Cerberus was in my way! Emessa also tried to get over to her, but she was occupied as well. Sachi realized she was the only one who was able to get over to her.

Sachi's POV

Kirito-kun and Emessa-san were busy with Cerberus' heads, so I suddenly realized that I was the only one who could get over to Yui in time. I dashed over to her, dodging Cerberus on the way. Her health was dangerously low. I stood in front of her. Cerberus would not get away with this. It WILL NOT kill any of my friends. I may not remember much, but I knew that I had to defeat it.

"You won't get away with this! I won't let you hurt my friends!" I screamed at Cerberus. Rage was building inside me, bubbling like molten lava in my heart. My eyes burned with a hatred. My arms and legs felt stronger than they've ever felt. Before I could even think, my feet were moving by themselves, sprinting towards the beast. I was running faster than I ever knew I could. I took out my spear, and it started to glow. What was happening? It grew at least double the size it was before, and it turned to diamond. I sprung up into the air. "HYAAAAAA!" I screamed as I cut straight through the dog's body. I cut it in half, and it shattered into crystals.

[Victory!] the holographic white text hovering above me read. I had gained lots of Cor, and received a spear that was doubled the strength of the one I had at the moment. It was called Razor of the Moonlight. I really liked that name. I looked over at Yui, who was running up behind me and jumped to hug me. "Thank you for saving me Sachi-san! You're the best!" She said.

"No problem Yui-chan," I said with a small smile.

Emessa walked over to me and said good job, before walking off to discuss losses and victories with Daizen. I guess she isn't really that expressive.

Kirito came up to me. "Yo. Nice job back there. You really saved Yui. Thank you very much for that," he said.

"Oh thanks Kirito-kun. It was no problem," I said quietly

He raised his hand, and I did too. They clapped together. That was the first high-five I've experienced.

 **Next Time: [Dungeon Panic and Lost Memories]**


	7. Chapter 7- Dungeon Panic & Lost Memories

**Chapter 7: [Dungeon Panic and Lost Memories]**  
 **Current Location: -Floor 83-**  
 **Kirito's POV**  
We were training in a dungeon for the next boss, and had just beat a herd of boars. Yui and Sachi have both trained really hard and it's paying off. I'm proud of them. We headed to the next room. Another boar appeared, but it was by itself.  
"Piece of cake," Yui said with a smile. She rushed the boar with her fire sword. With one swift slash, she had sliced it in half.  
"Good job Yui-chan," I said while patting her head. We headed out of the room and were looking at the loot we had gotten when Emessa said something.  
"Kirito-kun. Look up ahead," Emessa said calmly while pointing down the hallway.  
"Hm?" I said. When I turned to look at what she was pointing at, I saw a player anxiously running towards us. He looked frantic, like he had just seen the devil or something.  
"Everyone, get your swords ready," I said. We drew our swords. If he was going to attack us, we were ready. As he got closer, He slowed down a little bit, before slamming his heels into the ground to stop completely. He was panting like crazy.  
"D-don't attack me! Please!" He cried out.  
"Why should we believe you? For all we know you could attack us at any time," Emessa said with a stern look on her face.  
"B-because… Laughing Coffin is after me!" He screamed between gasps for air.  
"What?" I said. I couldn't believe it. They're here? "Where are they?" I said to the player.  
"They're chasing me. They can't be too far behind me right now. We have to go!" He said frantically.  
"Should we trust him?" Sachi whispered.  
"I think we should Papa!" Yui said.  
"Alright then. Let's hurry, uh, what was your name?" I asked.  
"O-oh my name is Eiyre," he said.  
"Kirito-kun. Laughing Coffin is here," Emessa said. She was right. I could see a herd of red players running toward us. There was a lot of them too.  
"Let's go!" Eiyre said with a worried expression.  
We started to dash around this maze of a dungeon, desperately tried to get Laughing Coffin off our tails. But they seemed to be around every corner we turned to. We constantly were trapped with them, only getting out with the help of Eiyre's special skill, which allowed him to not only become invisible, but turn others invisible as well. We were sometimes attacked, only getting out by the skin of our teeth. We must have used up half of our items because of it.  
hWe finally got away from them by running into one of the dungeon's rooms. It was an empty room with a chest in the center. Somehow it looked so familiar. Then I remembered. This looked exactly like the room where The Black Moonlit Cats guild and Sachi died…  
I looked over at her. She was staring at the chest with a horrified expression on her face. She was holding her head and her eyes widened.

 **Sachi's POV**  
We ran into the room. There was a chest in the middle of it. It could contain something good. But when I got a good look at it, my head started to badly ache. I started to see things.  
A body with blonde hair and blue eyes opening a treasure chest.  
The room turning red.  
Him and some other boys getting killed by monsters that were filling the room.  
I remembered Kirito staring at me in horror as I was hit in the back. And… And…  
I couldn't remember anything else.  
All I knew was I couldn't let anyone get near that chest.  
But I was too late. Yui opened the chest. "Yui! No!" I screamed.  
"Hm? Wha-" Yui said before turning to face a what seemed to be 10 ft. golem.  
She screamed before jumping back to join us. We were quickly surrounded from all sides. Kirito looked over at us with a concerned face. Eiyre was starting to panic. He pulled out a teleport crystal and tried to use it. It doesn't work. I could've sworn I've seen this before.  
"Sachi!" Kirito screamed, snapping me out of blanking out.  
"What?" I said with a worried expression.  
"Let's go!" Kirito said, gesturing to the golems attacking us.  
"Okay!" I said, before lunging at the monsters.

 **Emessa's POV**  
We were surrounded by all sides, golems spawning faster than I could count.  
Without even thinking, I took out my scythe and started spinning it. I slammed it on the ground, creating a shock wave that pushed the golems back a bit. Sachi leaped and stabbed one of them, while Yui was just slashing to her hearts' content. Eiyre was watching the door, to make sure Laughing Coffin doesn't get in while we were fighting.  
As the golems stormed toward me, I waited 'til the last second and used my scythe to push off the ground and jump on its head. I swiftly stabbed it with my scythe. As I weaved through the monsters, I saw Eiyre looking out the door. He may seem nice to everyone else, but I'm suspicious of him. I'll have to keep an eye out. Before I could even think, I was slammed into the wall. Damn it! Eiyre distracted me. I got up and activated my special skill. I transformed my scythe to be double-sided. I walked up to the golem, and spun the scythe under it until it lost all health.

After the golems were defeated, we headed out the room. As we were walking out, I saw Eiyre looking down and snickering. Something's not right.  
 **Next Time: [A Mysterious Power]**


	8. Chapter 8- A Mysterious Power

**Oh my god guys… 1000 views! You guys are amazing!** **o(≧▽≦)o** **Thank you so so much! Here's a new chapter, Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 8: [A Mysterious Power]**

Emessa's POV

Something's not right…

Before I could even think about what was happening, Eiyre jumped out in front of us. He turned around with a big smile and laughed. I looked at Kirito and Yui and they were as confused as I was. I looked back at Eiyre, who was still laughing.

"What's wrong with you Eiyre?" Yui asked worriedly.

"Don't you get it little girl?" He said with a growing smile. "You're all dead!"

"What? What are you saying?" Kirito said, gritting his teeth.

"Don't you get it? I've been working with Laughing Coffin all this time! They've surrounded us right outside this door! So in other words, a very elaborate death trap set especially for you my dears!" He said before rushing out the door while laughing maniacally.

They've surrounded us. How am I supposed to get out of this? I have to make sure Kirito and the others are safe. They can't die. They're the only hope we have to get out of this game. I started to shake. How are we supposed to beat ALL of them? I can't let it end like this, but there's nothing I can do.

Laughing Coffin jumped at us, and I braced myself for the worst. Then I remembered.

 _Snap._

In that moment, time seemed to have stopped completely. Eiyre was suspended in midair while laughing, Kirito blocking with his swords, Yui with the most horrified expression I've seen her make in a long time while holding up her arms in an attempt to save herself, and Sachi was just staring into the bleak hallway behind us. What happened? What happened to time? Never mind, let's figure that out later. First I have to get us out of here. I walked over to Yui, and grabbed her hand. I could move her around without time starting again!

Perfect. I put Yui on my back and snatched Kirito and Sachi's hands. I weaved through Laughing Coffin, avoiding their weapons. I ran faster than I've ever ran before. I head out the door of the dungeon, back to the town. The air was dead, and the sky was a lifeless gray. The clouds were still. There wasn't a single sound throughout the town. All of the players were motionless, like wax figures. Our footsteps echo against the gravel path of the sidewalk.

I burst through the hotel door. Without even thinking I throw the money on the counter. I stumble up the stairs, nearly falling on the way. Man I never even noticed how heavy these guys are. I kick down the door and throw everyone on the beds.

After I was done fixing the door, I sat down on the couch.

 _Snap._

Time starts. I breathed a sigh of relief. Sunlight started streaming in through the windows. The clouds were billowing through the sky.

"Hnn… W-What happened? Where am I?" Oh so it looks like Yui woke up first.

"Good morning Yui. How are you feeling?" I looked over at her. She stared at me with a clueless look.

"H-hi Emessa-san. What happened? Where's Laughing Coffin?" she asked.

"What do you mean Yui-chan? What Laughing Coffin? There wasn't anyone here," I lied through my teeth.

"I probably just had a bad dream." She said while looking down with a blank expression.

"Ughh… What…" Kirito mumbled. Oh good, they're both up now. He rubbed his head with a sleepy expression and looked over at Yui and I.

"O-oh Yui-chan. Emessa-san. Where's Laughing Coffin? What happened?" He muttered.

"I guess me and Papa had the same dream," Yui said, her usual smile returning to her cheery face.

"Oh okay. That explains it," Kirito said. I could tell he was suspicious of something.

We waited a few hours for Sachi to awaken, but she didn't. We were starting to get a little worried. Kirito brought in a few herbs to help her, but they didn't do anything. We tried splashing water on her face, poking her, tickling her, but nothing happened. We think it might be because of her resurrection. We decided to give up after a couple more hours. We thought that we could try again in the morning.

When we woke up in the morning, we went out into town to get some ingredients for food. Surprisingly, Yui has been making our meals for the past few weeks. We were heading back home when we heard a loud noise coming from our room. We rushed in to see Sachi standing up with a few broken bottles on the ground. She turned to look at us.

"W-WHO ARE YOU?! G-GET AWAY FROM ME! I-I'M WARNING YOU! DON'T G-GET ANY CLOSER!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

 _Shit. Her memory's gone._

 **Next time: [Time Slip]**


End file.
